NICHD has been the primary federal resource for research on sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) since the SIDS Act of 1974 was passed.
Its efforts have included and still include studies on the causes and etiology of SIDS, ranging from basic research with animal models to more applied methods involving responses to environmental risk factors; research on the incidence and prevalence of SIDS, especially among certain portions of the U.S. population; and outreach designed to educate parents and caregivers about ways to reduce SIDS risk, especially among those populations with a higher incidence of SIDS.
In addition, NICHD leads the ongoing Safe to Sleep campaign® (formerly the Back to Sleep campaign) to educate parents, caregivers, and health care providers about behaviors and strategies that can reduce the risk for SIDS. Spreading safe sleep messages in every community and raising awareness about ways to reduce SIDS risk are important goals of the campaign.
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